Oct 6, 2007

Madrassa Education Reform Program as Part of GWOT Strategic PSYOP

We need not get into the merits here of Gen. Musharraf (of which there are few), or debate the opinion of some experts who accurately point out that the overall number of fundamentalist Muslims there is insufficient to bring about the nightmare specter of a radical Islamic Nuke-bearing state as the outcome of truly free elections in that country.

Our objective today is to note the failure of our ally Musharraf -- a military dictator -- to effectively do his part to implement an important component of the main GWOT Strategic PSYOP.

The Madrassa Education Reform program in Pakistan is part of our broader attempts in the Islamic world to prevent the spread of radical Islam. Ideally, we could enable the governments in these countries to establish secular schools, thus eliminating the indoctrination of jihadist principles into the young people. We are providing funds in that direction, as well as sponsoring the teaching of English, but in some places secular education is a culturally foreign concept.

In the Summer of 2002, Congress appropriated $100 million in a five year program to make quality education available to a larger percentage of Pakistani children, especially in tribal areas. The religious schools (Madrassas) in Pakistan were identified early on as a problem -- the Koran is the main textbook. Musharraf was made aware of our desire for some ideological housecleaning in those institutions.

Other funds were forthcoming. USAID received $67 million for education reform in Pakistan in 2005 alone. The World Bank has pitched in additional monies.

Our Pakistani strongman faced strong institutional resistance to the plan from some elements of his military, and as a result, said all the right things to the U.S., but has dragged his feet on carrying out the Madrassa reforms. Three "model madrassas" have been created to demonstrate progress to donors.

This Summer, when the funding from the original five year appropriation was subject to renewal, Musharraf violently cracked down on Islamabad's Red Mosque and its adjoining Madrassa.

The attack on the Red Mosque has rejuvenated the radical Islamist madrassas, and Pakistan is now facing a growing insurgency in the tribal areas.

The idea among Pakistanis of Americans dictating the content of religious education is a sensitive subject, and the most radical of the madrassas are said to have ample alternative sources of funding, but more had been expected from the initiative.

Over the last few months, the U.S. encouraged Musharraf to join Benizir Bhutto in a political alliance of convenience. Only a post-election review by the Pakistani Supreme Court stands in his way of another term as president.

Musharraf has pledged to retire from the military as part of the arrangement to stay on as president.

The Madrassa Education Reform program faltered under his military dictatorship. It is difficult to see the prospect for any improvement along those lines under a "civilian" Musharraf government.

"We are not quite sure what to think of the rather interesting but not entirely worksafe blog.

On the one hand, we find some of the pieces quite excellent but we dislike attempts to play insider baseball with Beltway politics (especially writ large.) We find such discussions border too often on conspiracy theory.

But when they focus on information operations and military matters, they prove worth reading. (We also rather like the manner in which they characterized our link - "Kent's Something of Import".... clearly an artifact of translation software, but it carries with it a flavour of the Victorian...)"-Kent's Something of Import

"Bizarre site, no? I don't know who he/she is, but I'm afraid to link to him/her for risk of being dragged in by the lewd patrol."-Armchair Generalist

"Swedish Meatballs Confidential focuses on unwrapping programs of propaganda, PSYOPS and "perception management" from across the spectrum of media outlets. It's saucy, too. This group knows what the fuck is going on. Read it, and you will too."-Anything They Say

The struggle to disbelieve is eternal. We struggle to disbelieve that which contradicts our predisposition.-Book Of Meatballs 27:33

EXCHANGE

M1:

If we are to take the idea and actions of the Long War seriously then we must immediately come to terms with the full spectrum of consequences of our nation engaged in COIN everywhere and always.

For this, only IO against self can provide us the slightest of chances for persevering without being sundered from within by the trauma of old school losses coming back to gnaw at a Will reared on the decisive and temporally compartmentalized wins of the history books that have reared us.

Otherwise we would do best in working for outlooks and solutions beyond the framework of the Long War. However, such choices are perhaps best left for consideration by more driven and invested minds.

So what do you say, Bernays - any hidden costs? Is this where democracy ends or perhaps where democracy only truly can begin?"

In part, Smith-Mundt is a response to Bernays' activities thirty-five years earlier.

During the massive restructuring of the United States to counter the emerging ideological threat coming from all angles (remember the National Security Act of 1947 was passed during the two years of debate on Smith-Mundt), Smith-Mundt was to protect democracy, not from itself but from the outside.

Protection inside was mainly for the broadcasters, which Benton vigorously and successfully courted the broadcasters and continued to do so afterward its passage in a period of increasingly rapid (relatively) news cycles and accessibility.

The Swede [HaHa!] is right, something significant needs to be done with Smith-Mundt, but attempts at an outright dismissal will be met by a swift and emotional counter-reaction. What is necessary is a conversation on the topic to understand its purpose and intent.

A few days ago, I discussed H-Diplo (a Listserv) as weaker platform than a blog, despite the past richness as a community of interest ( some folks feel the time of H-Net is long over).

Today, I featured an H-Diplo roundtable that could only be most easily put together by a high-powered community of vertical-thinking experts. That is a listserv operating at it's best, showcasing an exchange of real scholarly depth and nuance.

Nevertheless, the exchange that just occurred between SMC and Matt would never have happened on a moderated forum like H-Diplo.

Casus Belli

A must-read blog for IO practitioners or scholars of intelligence and communications interested in the subterranean media ecosystem of disinformation,black propaganda, white noise and strategic messages coming in all shades of gray.- Mark Safranski aka Zen Pundit

Where meatballs are concerned, results are more important than authenticity.-Book of Meatballs 81:99

I found this at a website that has alot of interesting posts about the “war of ideas” with Jihadis and psychological and information warfare.

Each post at this site is illustrated with an “art porn” image, and some of images seem to be deliberately provacative to muslims with pictures of naked women in hijab or vaginas that have been sown closed.

So if you’re offended or easily “incited to evil thoughts” or whatever, maybe you should stay away.ProgressiveIslam.Org